Call for Stop Torture in Psychiatry
in Norway

Page
5 of the speech
of Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan E Méndezin
22. meeting of the "Human Rights Council" 4. March 2013:
"States should impose an absolute
ban on all forced and non-consensual medical interventionsagainst
persons with disabilities, including the non-consensual
administration of psychosurgery, electroshock and mind-altering
drugs, for both long- and short- term application. The obligation to
end forced psychiatric interventions based on grounds of disability
is of immediate application and scarce financial resources cannot
justify postponement of its implementation."

Report
A/HRC/22/53of
the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment of 1. February 2013, Section 32: "For
example, the mandate has held that the discriminatory character of
forced psychiatric interventions, when committed against persons
with psychosocial disabilities, satisfies both intent and purpose
required under the article 1 of the Convention against Torture,
notwithstanding claims of “good intentions” by medical
professionals (ibid., paras. 47, 48)". Section 82.: "The
prohibition
of torture is one of the few absolute and non-derogable human
rights,
a matter of jus cogens, a peremptory norm of customary international
law."

Urgent
Appeal to Norway to discontinue forced treatment and hospitalization
by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the UN Special
Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the UN
Special Rapporteur on the right to Health datet 30. January 2017
(4). A man was placed under “compulsary mental health
care”. Appeals to the Supervisory commission, Oslo district
court, Borgating court of appeal and Supreme Court (2. January 2015)
were rejected. The Council Govener (Fylkemann) rejected a complaint
against coersive medical care. The UN appeal is based on the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR), the
Convention against Torture (CAT), the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) and the Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). “These
provisions impose an immediate obligation om the States to
immediately discontinue these practices and reform laws allowing for
deprivation of liberty and forced treatment on the basis of
disabilities by replacing these practices with services in that meet
needs expressed by persons with disabilities and respect the
autonomy, choices, dignity and privacy. While awaiting a reply, we
urge that all necessary interim measures to be taken to halt the
alleged violations and prevent there re-occurance...”

Committee on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recommends 2013. "
that the State party incorporate into the law the abolition of the
use of restraint and the enforced administration of intrusive and
irreversible treatments such as neuroleptic drugs and
electroconvulsive therapy"

(a) “Whether the use of restraints and the enforced
administration of intrusive and irreversible treatments such as
neuroleptic drugs and electroconvulsive therapy has been abolished in
law...

(b) Ensuring that every competent patient, whether voluntary or
involuntary, is fully informed about the treatment to be prescribed
and given the opportunity to refuse treatment or any other medical
intervention... ”

“As
has been stated by the Committee in several concluding observations,
forced treatment by psychiatric and other health and medical
professionals is a violation of the right to equal recognition before
the law and an infringement of the rights to personal integrity (art.
17); freedom
from torture(art. 15);
and freedom from violence, exploitation and abuse (art. 16).”